Chapter 98
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At the Zamora Group, Marina had just parked her car in the garage, turned off the engine, and stepped out. Before she could reach the elevator, a man’s voice called out to her.
“Ms. Finley,” the man called.
Marina stopped and saw Arnauld getting out of another car, smiling warmly.
“Good morning. Did you have breakfast yet? I passed by a breakfast shop and happened to buy an extra one,” Arnauld said.
Marina’s gaze was cool and a bit distant.
“Thank you, Mr. Quinn, but I’ve already eaten,” she replied.
She kept a deliberate distance from Arnauld, her face showing a hint of caution as she ignored his attempt to be friendly and headed for the elevator.
Arnauld’s hand, still holding the breakfast, was left hanging awkwardly in midair as Marina walked away.
His face fell a little as he gripped the breakfast bag tighter and awkwardly pulled his hand back.
Marina pressed the elevator button, and Arnauld followed, trying to come across as humble.
“Ms. Finley, we’re all colleagues here. I apologize for Vivian’s behavior. I’m really sorry for making your job harder,” Arnauld said.
As he spoke, he offered his hand, clearly hoping for a handshake to smooth things over.
Marina didn’t even glance at Arnauld, much less think about shaking his hand.
“Mr. Quinn, there’s no need to apologize. I already made myself clear yesterday,” she replied.
‘Why can’t these people just get the message?‘ Marina thought to herself.
She had zero interest in getting mixed up in any of their office drama.
If they wanted to play games at work, especially right under Daron’s nose, they’d better be ready to get caught at any moment.
Seeing her cold attitude, Arnauld dropped his friendly act and put on the authoritative air of a seasoned
manager.
“Ms. Finley, you’re new to the Zamora Group, but you’re clearly talented. That’s why Mr. Zamora is willing to let you take charge of the Sicester branch. Your main focus might be in Sicester for now, but once the project wraps up, you’ll be heading back to headquarters,” Arnauld said.
“We’re bound to run into each other a lot, so I’d rather not let something this minor create any bad blood between us. Honestly, I’m just like Mr. Zamora–I really value talent,” he added.
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Chapter 98
Marina shot Arnauld a sideways glance.
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Arnauld was still smiling, but there was no trace of the friendliness from before. Instead, there was a glint of warning in his eyes.
If things went as usual, once Marina finished her project in Sicester and returned to headquarters, she’d probably end up working under Arnauld.
Arnauld was basically warning her not to get too cocky around him–he’d have plenty of time and chances to mess with her if he wanted.
Marina had no intention of getting mixed up in any of their drama.
But if that assistant was going to pull shady moves at work, especially right under Daron’s nose, she should’ve been ready to get caught.
“Mr. Quinn, I don’t really get the point of your apology. Mr. Zamora personally made the decision to fire your assistant. An apology from you won’t change anything, and I think you know that,” Marina said,
As Marina spoke, the elevator doors slid open.
She looked away from Arnauld, but instead of stepping inside, she kept talking.
“Like you said, I’m new to the Zamora Group and don’t really know how things work around here, so I’d rather not get dragged into any complicated office politics. Forgive my ignorance, but could you just be direct and tell me what it is you want from me?” she asked.
Arnauld frowned, watching Marina from a couple steps away. She looked him dead in the eye, totally unfazed by his words.
Most people with a few years in the game wouldn’t dare throw a comeback like that at him.
She wasn’t naive–she just didn’t care about his threats.
Arnauld took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling slightly.
After all these years as the project manager at Zamora Group headquarters, people only ever flattered and tried to please him. Almost nobody ever had the guts to stand up to him like this.
“If you were really naive, Ms. Finley, you wouldn’t be so aggressive,” Arnauld said.
“Aggressive?” Marina echoed the word, her tone light, almost mocking.
“Honestly, Mr. Quinn, you’re the one being aggressive here. I never cared about any of this, but you keep pushing me to forgive your assistant. Tell me, why should I?” she shot back.
As soon as she finished speaking, the elevator doors slid shut.
Marina calmly pressed the button again and stepped into the elevator, her movements steady and unhurried.
Arnauld didn’t follow her in.
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Chapter 98
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He fixed Marina with a cold, heavy stare and spoke in a low, threatening voice. “Aren’t you worried you’ll have a rough time at HQ after offending me?”
Marina looked at Arnauld, then at the security camera overhead, and gave a cool, almost mocking smile.
“I’ve already pissed you off, so why should I be scared now?” she replied.
Arnauld wanted to save his assistant, wished Marina would just turn a blind eye, and was scared the whole mess would get to Daron.
No matter what Marina did, he was never going to tolerate her presence.
Better to let the enemy show himself out in the open now.
As the elevator doors slid shut, Marina caught the hostility in Arnauld’s eyes.
Honestly, she had nothing to fear. Once the Sicester project was over, she’d be heading back to the Finley Group. If she ever crossed paths with Arnauld again at work, they’d probably be rivals by then.
She wouldn’t be afraid of a rival.
‘I’ve just returned to Vrufield and already made an enemy. Guess I’d have to work even harder to crush him under my heel.‘ Marina thought.
She silently cheered herself on, determined to soak up as much as she could from Daron while she was working by his side.
As she stepped out of the elevator, Marina switched into full professional mode. With a practiced smile, she made her way to Daron’s office door and pressed the bell.
No one answered.
‘Daron probably hasn’t arrived at the office yet,‘ she thought.
Her desk was inside Daron’s office, so she had no choice but to wait.
The CEO’s office was always a whirlwind in the morning. Everyone who got off the elevator was already busy with work.
Not wanting to interrupt anyone, Marina waited quietly outside Daron’s office.
By the time ten minutes had crawled by, her legs were about to give out from all that standing.
To make things worse, she’d picked today to break in a brand new pair of heels–her feet were seriously protesting with every passing second.
Just then, Daron stepped out of the CEO’s private elevator, and his secretary, Chloe, hurried over to brief him on his schedule for the day.
“Your flight to Sicester this afternoon…” Chloe began.
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Before she could finish, Daron stopped in his tracks, his brow furrowing slightly.
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Chloe followed his gaze and saw Marina standing outside Daron’s office. It was obvious she’d been there for a while–her ankles were clearly sore, and she kept shifting her weight from one foot to the other, trying to ease
the discomfort.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
